Free if you come

At six in the evening, everyone began finding their seats for dinner.

Song Haihua had set up an additional table in the backyard, while two more tables were arranged in the rooms on either side of the living room.

In total, there were three tables, seating around thirty people.

The house, both front and back, was decorated with festive red paper streamers, double-happiness stickers, red lanterns, and other wedding ornaments.

The atmosphere was lively, and with so many people chatting and laughing, the entire place buzzed with energy.

Su Yang, along with the younger crowd—Song Anquan, Jiang Mengyun, Chen Qi, and Song Da—sat in the courtyard.

The two rooms inside were reserved for the older relatives.

Originally, Song Haihua had wanted Su Yang to join him at his table, but after Su Yang politely declined, he let it go.

Dinner began promptly at 6:10 PM. Song Haihua made rounds to each table with a glass of wine, reminding those who had to drive later not to drink.

Su Yang also abstained for the evening—otherwise, it would’ve been hard to explain to Jiang Mengyun and the others.

An hour later, everyone finished their meal in high spirits. By eight o’clock, those who had long drives ahead found places to rest.

Driving overnight was no easy task. Though the highways were less crowded at night, fatigue could easily lead to accidents if one wasn’t well-rested.

A short break was necessary to ensure safe travels.

Su Yang, however, wasn’t concerned. His physical stamina was exceptional—even two sleepless nights wouldn’t affect him.

With four hours left until midnight, he found himself at a loose end.

He considered checking his system status, but just then, Jiang Mengyun walked over.

“What are you up to?” she asked with a smile as she approached.

Su Yang, lounging on a wooden chair by the front gate to catch the cool breeze, looked up at her. “Nothing much, just spacing out after dinner.”

“Aren’t you going to rest in the car?”

Su Yang shook his head. “I’m not tired. You should get some sleep, though.”

“It’s too early for me to sleep. Besides, I’ve already found someone to drive for me tonight—I’ll just nap in your car.” She pulled up a chair and sat beside him.

Su Yang chuckled. “Sure, that works.”

“What do you do in Haicheng?” Since they had time to kill, Su Yang struck up a conversation.

“I run my own business—a clothing store and two coffee shops.”

“Oh? You own coffee shops?” That piqued his interest.

“Mhm. At first, I only had the clothing store, but I love coffee, so a friend and I opened a café together.”

She glanced up at the night sky and continued, “We didn’t expect it to be profitable—it was just for fun. But business took off, so we opened a second branch. Now, we each manage one.”

Su Yang listened quietly before asking, “What about your clothing store? Do you still run it?”

“I handed it over to my sister.”

“You have a sister?”

“Yeah, an older sister.”

“Ah, that’s nice.”

“Nice?” She sighed. “My parents keep complaining about not having a son.”

Su Yang laughed. “What’s so great about boys? They might not even be as successful as you two.”

“True. I thought I was doing pretty well for my age… until I met you today.” Jiang Mengyun propped her chin on her hands and turned to him with a grin.

Su Yang was momentarily taken aback before chuckling. "You're already doing great. At twenty-three, you're driving a Porsche—what more could you ask for?"

"It depends on who I'm comparing myself to. Compared to most people, I'm doing alright. But compared to you? I’m not even in the same league."

Jiang Mengyun turned to meet Su Yang’s gaze and added, "Can I ask what you do for a living?"

Su Yang smiled. "I’m in business too. I own a Western restaurant, and also..." He paused mid-sentence, suddenly remembering the influencer marketing company the system had rewarded him with. He hadn’t even visited it once—if not for this conversation, he might have forgotten about it entirely.

"And also what?" Jiang Mengyun prompted when he stopped.

"And also a company."

"I knew it! You must have a company. There’s no way you could afford a Rolls-Royce Cullinan just by running a restaurant."

Su Yang gave a faint smile but didn’t elaborate.

Jiang Mengyun continued, "But I’m more interested in your restaurant. What’s it called? I’d love to visit sometime."

"Moonlight Moments."

"Moon... Moonlight Moments?!" Jiang Mengyun’s expression shifted abruptly, her voice rising.

"What’s wrong? You’re reacting like someone at the restaurant offended you."

"Well... not exactly. But if you’re the owner of Moonlight Moments, then I take back what I said earlier. Even without a company, you could definitely afford a Cullinan..."

Su Yang grinned. "Haha, has the restaurant really become that famous in Haicheng?"

"You’re the owner—how do you not know?"

"I don’t really manage it. I mostly leave it to the managers."

"Wow. Right now, your restaurant is practically unrivaled in Haicheng—at least when it comes to Western cuisine."

Su Yang blinked in surprise. "That successful?"

"Huh?" Jiang Mengyun tilted her head, studying Su Yang with a puzzled look. "Why do I get the feeling you know nothing about your own business? Are you really the owner?"

"I am. But I only took over this year, and since then, I’ve let it run on its own. So yeah, I’m not really up to speed."

"Oh, I see. You’ve got nerves of steel, leaving such a hot restaurant completely unattended."

"I value my freedom. I don’t like anything that ties me down to work, so that’s just how it is."

Jiang Mengyun’s eyes sparkled mischievously. "Aren’t you worried the restaurant might start losing money?"

Su Yang smirked inwardly. ‘The system-gifted businesses can’t possibly fail. I’ll just collect the dividends at year-end.’

"If it flops, I’ll just sell it off."

"You’re something else. Must be nice having that kind of money to throw around." Jiang Mengyun gave him a thumbs-up.

Su Yang chuckled quietly and changed the subject. "Enough about me. Which district is that coffee shop you usually hang out in?"

"Nanlin District."

"Oh? That’s great. I live in Nanlin too. I’ll drop by sometime to try it out."

"Sure! If you come, it’s on the house."

"Then I’ll come every day."

"Then it’ll be free every day."

"That generous?"

Jiang Mengyun winked. "Well, when you’re a big shot like you, I’d better butter you up properly."

Su Yang laughed. "You’re pretty straightforward."

"Why not? That’s just how I am—no beating around the bush or playing mind games. Not my style."

Su Yang nodded with a smile, "Yeah, nice. I really like your personality."

"Heh, I'm honored you feel that way."

......

The two of them sat by the doorway, chatting idly as the evening breeze drifted past.

Time flew by, and soon it was half past eleven at night. The quiet house gradually stirred as people began waking up.

Song Haihua came downstairs and paused in surprise when he saw Su Yang and Jiang Mengyun sitting at the entrance. "Xiao Su? Mengyun? You two aren't resting?"

Su Yang turned to him and replied, "It's fine, Uncle Song. I'm wide awake—not tired at all."

"Ah, if there's no space to sleep here, you should've gone back to the car to rest. We’ve got hours of highway driving ahead later."

"Really, don’t worry about it."

"Well... what about Mengyun? Why isn’t she resting either?"

"I’ll sleep in Su Yang’s car later. Someone else will drive mine for me."

"Oh, I see. Alright then. You two stay put—I’ll go wake the others. It’s about time."

"Got it."

Ten minutes later, everyone had gathered in the living room.

Song Haihua and his wife weren’t joining the convoy to fetch the bride. Instead, they spent the time giving last-minute reminders to the rest of the group.

Su Yang spotted Song Anquan, now dressed in a suit and tie, and waved him over. "Anquan!"

"What’s up, man?" Song Anquan squeezed through the crowd to reach him.

"When we get to the bride’s place, they’ll probably have gate-blocking games. You got the red envelopes ready?"

Song Anquan grinned and nodded. "Of course! Otherwise, there’s no way I’m bringing her home—hahaha!"

"Good. Make sure you assign at least two people who can hold their liquor to each car. There’ll definitely be drinking challenges at the gate. I’m driving, or else I’d handle it all for you."

"Hahaha, don’t worry, bro. My two groomsmen can drink like fish." Song Anquan pointed at two young men in waistcoats standing in the crowd.

Su Yang glanced at them. "I didn’t even notice when your groomsmen arrived. As long as there are heavy drinkers, we’re good. What about Xiao Qi?"

"She’s over there." Song Anquan gestured toward Chen Qi, who sat on the sofa looking half-asleep.

Su Yang nodded. "Is she coming too?"

"Yeah. Aside from my parents and a few relatives, almost everyone’s going."

"Alright. Did you get all the miscellaneous stuff ready? The 'three golds' and all that?"

"All set."

At this point, Su Yang suddenly remembered something and lowered his voice. "By the way, how much did the bride’s family ask for the betrothal gift? I never got around to asking you."

"168,800."

......